Goodyear Logo PNG
The Goodyear emblem is an excellent example of a logo that has stood the test of time. One of the reasons for this can be that the emblem has a very close connection to the company’s core values.
Meaning and history
Goodyear is one of the lucky brands, which managed to find its unique style and recognizable emblem at the very beginning of its history. Introduced in new 1898, the symbol, which today became iconic and synonymous with the famous tire brand, was only slightly modernized throughout the years, but the concept and style remained original.
1898 – 1930
The very first Goodyear logo featured an elegant black inscription, split into two parts by a very light and elegant emblem, which depicted a foot in a sandal with wings, the symbol of one of the most popular gods in the Greek mythology, Hermes. The logo was set in a monochrome palette and looked pretty simple yet sophisticated and professional.
1930 – 1942
The redesign of 1930 refined the contours and color palette of the iconic logo, writing the wordmark in all capitals of a bold sans-serif typeface with black body and yellow shadow. The emblem was executed in the same palette and placed slightly diagonally between the two parts of the brand’s name.
1942 – 1968
Black was switched to blue and the yellow shadow was gone in 1942. The solid and massive lettering had its contours clean and neat, and the emblem, executed in blue with light thin details, now looked modern and lore confident.
1968 – Today
Today the company still uses the logo, created for it in 1968, basing on the previous version. The only change was in the color palette and the typeface of the wordmark, which now is executed in a slightly narrowed and italicized sans-serif font. There is a different option for the logo color palette, but the main one is yellow on blue, a combination that evokes a sense of happiness, reliability, and security. The yellow logotype with a signifier can also be placed on a white background or the elements of the logo turn blue. The monochrome version is also in use by the brand, especially on its official documents.
Symbol
The Goodyear emblem is known under the name of Wingfoot. Take a look at a statue of the Roman god Mercury, and you will definitely notice something looking very much like the Goodyear symbol. Similar to his Greek equivalent Hermes, Mercury wore the winged shoes (talaria), which gave him speed and in this way helped him to perform his duties – he was the god of messages, trade, and commerce.
It was the company founder’s, Frank Seiberling’s idea to adopt a winged shoe as the primary emblem. When did he get this idea? As the official legend states it, there was a statue of Mercury on the stairway of the old Seiberling home in Akron. One day, Seiberling realized that the god was the embodiment of the characteristics that the products of his company were proud to possess.
At the end of the summer of 1900, he held a meeting at his company, where the idea was discussed. There were several sketches depicting different elements of the statue. Out of them, the participants chose the sketch where the winged foot of Mercury was drawn. Then, they agreed that the symbol should be placed right in the middle of the word “Goodyear.”
Evolution of the emblem
Although the Goodyear tire logo has been essentially consistent in its main symbol, it has been actually altered throughout the company’s more than 120-year history. Probably the most notable modification has been connected with the size of the emblem – it was definitely larger when it was just introduced and reduced in size in the course of time.
Font
The solid, bold typeface featured on the Goodyear symbol appears to be very similar to the types called Phatt Phreddy and Koloss Bold. However, in all likelihood, none of the fonts were actually used by the logo author, and he crafted the wordmark from scratch.
Color
The Goodyear logo is given in yellow at the company website. However, the logo can also be given in black and white.
